Alloy



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters iatent No. 897,699, dated February 12, 1889. Application filed July 8,1885. Serial No. 171,011. (No specimens.)

To aZZ 107mm it may concern:

Be it known. that we, EUGENE II. COWLES and ALFRED H. COWLES, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Parts;

Copper 63.333 33.333 Aluminium 99.999

These we fuse together in a crucible, so that they may be thoroughly mixed and alloyed.

In order to secure the best possible result and prevent; the formation of oxides, powdered carbon or common salt maybe spread over the metals in the crucible, so as to cover them and exclude the air. The resulting alloy is a new compound, which we have chosen to designate Hercules metal on account of its great strength, toughness, and resilience. This metal is the strongest known to the arts, and castings of it average over one hundred thousand poundsto the square inch in tensile strength, which is considerably more than the best grades of iron or steel.

The proportions of the various metals we have given to form the alloy are those which are found to give the best results in practice. These proportions may be materially varied without seriouslyimpairing the strength or usefulness of the alloy; but to secure the greatest strength, elasticity, and hardness it is necessary that each of the metalscopper, nickel, and aluminium-shouid be perfectly pure and free from impurities, and that no other ingredient should be added to them either before or while in a state of fusion. The alloy when thus prepared and free from impurities compares favoral'ily in hardness with the best tempered steel. It is also untarnishable, and is not affected by sulphur or acids to any appreciable extent. These peculiar properties render it special] y adapted as a material from which taldc-cutlery and similar articles may be manufactured.

o are aware that it is not broadly new to make an alloy containing copper, nickel, and aluminium, an alloy containing these metals having been formed of which ninety-one per cent. was copper. The remaining metals were, however, impure. They were used in such small quantity that the alloy did not possess the characteristic strength and hardness of the alloy hereinbefore described, and had the quantity of nickel and aluminium been increased the impurities contained in them would have prevented the alloy from having any value or utility.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A metallic alloy consisting of a proportion of copper, nickel in about half theproportion of the copper, and a percentage of alnn'iininm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE II. COWLES. ALFRED H. COIVLES.

\Vi tnesses:

H. O. WILcoX, ROBT. F. SCHADE. 

